There is very little ground left to cover or new ideas to explore in the superhero genre.
Initially published in 2014, “Superpowereds: Year 1” does a lot with a relatively novel idea and setting. Drew Hayes achieves this through fun characters and a well-built world that pulls the reader in with exciting ideas.
The main plot revolves around five teens; Chris, Alice, Nick, Mary and Roy, who have only recently received an operation to control their powers.
They are known as “Powereds,” people with powers but cannot control them. After their operation, they are allowed to attend Lander University to earn their Hero Certification License.
Like any other story with a school setting, there is an emphasis on characters and their interactions.
The cast of characters is broad enough that there will likely be a relatable character for everyone, and the conversations and relationships feel authentic.
The main cast gets the most screen time to develop their relationships, and as a result, they quickly come across as the most fleshed out in the novel.
While the characters themselves aren’t particularly dynamic and deep, their interactions do more than enough to keep the novel interesting.
Another crucial part of the genre is the powers, and Hayes delivers in this area. The forces within the book are diverse and exciting, including more traditional abilities such as super-speed and super strength.
While these powers are generic, they have exciting twists that add a fresh and unique element. .
The plot mainly revolves around the five former Powereds attending school, making friends, strengthening their powers and hiding their past from their fellow students.
It is a relatively simple plot, but one that works on the strength of its characters with some help from scattered pieces of world-building.
The fight scenes that pop up throughout the novel are snappy and well-paced. They manage to not drag down the pacing of the overall story while delivering a nice injection of action to break up the more mundane school life of the students.
The powers within these fights are also well-considered and implemented, showing great attention to detail.
There are slight hints dropped at various points throughout the story from government agents and other students about the broader world of the novels.
These have just the right amount of space and attention to give the audience a picture of the wider world without distracting from the story.
“Superpowereds: Year 1” is an entertaining introduction to a series and proves to be a quick and satisfying read.
The cast of characters, the attention to detail given to the character’s powers as well as the exciting nuggets of information provided about the world all make for a fun and lighthearted read.
